I'm 14 and Was Cited for Feeding the Homeless

"I want to help all people, especially those in my community.”

On January 14, 12 people were cited for defying a ban to feed homeless people at a park in El Cajon, California. Police issued citations to the volunteers, some of whom were working with Break the Ban. The footage that was captured in videos that went viral.

Officials in El Cajon, east of San Diego, said that volunteers were arrested for breaking a food-sharing ban aimed to protect the public from hepatitis A. According to The Guardian, there's been a hepatitis A outbreak in the city that has resulted in the death of 20 people and "prompted mass vaccinations and the bleaching of streets." Stanley Lemon, a professor of medicine and leading hepatitis A virus (HAV) researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tells Teen Vogue, “If the food was provided with usual cleanliness, I can't see how it would contribute to spread of hep A.” The city's mayor, Bill Wells, told the local NBC affiliate that the ban had to do with the lack of adequate facilities at the park, where the virus was spreading. "What frustrates me is that it's being portrayed as a heartless act of a city that has no compassion for the homeless,” Wells said. “I couldn't disagree more."

Fourteen-year-old Ever Parmely was among those who were charged for violating El Cajon Emergency Ordinance that prohibits food-sharing events on city-owned property. Penalties if convicted include a fine of up to $1,000 or up to six months in jail or both. Ever is a genderqueer activist who decided to get involved when El Cajon passed the ordinance on October 17, 2017.

“I knew that something had to be done about it because it is unconstitutional and unfair,” Ever tells Teen Vogue. “It sparked my interest even more though because LGBTQ+ members experience homelessness at a much higher rate than the rest of the population, and I want to help all people, especially those in my community.”

According to Ever, the police had previously warned volunteers that if they defied the ban, there was a possibility they would be arrested at the January 14 food-sharing event at Wells Park.

About 30 minutes after the volunteers began handing out oranges, bananas, breakfast bars, dessert, and hygiene products with homeless people, police arrived. Ever says the police told volunteers they were breaking the law and if they continued, they would be subject to arrest. The police then began pulling volunteers aside, issuing misdemeanor citations.

“We were not taken to jail or put in police cars but instead given a notice to appear with a court date on it,” Ever says. (The author of this piece asked police for comment while the volunteers were being cited on January 14 and was told, “No comment.”) “I was excited because we can finally take this issue to court and more people will be aware of the situation.”

After they were given citations, the volunteers went back to the table and continued to give out food while the police watched. Ever was relieved they could continue to serve the food but angry as they felt no city should charge their citizens for feeding hungry, homeless people.

This isn't Ever's first brush with activism. This past summer, Ever’s family refused to answer questions about their citizenship status on a freeway in between Texas and New Mexico, as they wanted to bring attention to the plight of people of color at checkpoints. Ever’s mother, Shane Parmely, told CBS News she did this because she'd heard her Latino friends speak to their experiences at checkpoints. "It made me feel sick to get asked, knowing what my friends have been through.”

On January 23, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors let the ban on feeding homeless people in the city of El Cajon expire. According to the city, “the County Board of Supervisors voted not to extend the Hepatitis A public health emergency. Based on the County’s action, El Cajon’s food sharing urgency ordinance has expired.”

Ever believes the ban was meant not to contain the outbreak but to rid the parks of homeless people.

As scheduled, the next food-sharing event will take place, again at Wells Park, on January 27. Even though the food sharing ban is lifted, Ever’s efforts are far from over. “It’s still illegal to be homeless in El Cajon," they say.

All charges against the 12 volunteers still stand, despite the lift on the ban, but Ever says they are undeterred. “Activism and helping is way easier than people think. You just have to show up and show support. There is no such thing as a perfect protest or perfect activist. Don't be afraid to get involved — this is something that you learn as you go.”